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Place · A CLOSER LOOK

The Lorraine Motel

Memphis, Tennessee

The Lorraine Motel’s turquoise balcony and commemorative wreath, with vintage cars outside

ABOUT THIS PLACE

The former Lorraine Motel is the site where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The National Civil Rights Museum places that event within the broader struggle for civil rights. Its history also includes the motel’s role in welcoming Black travelers during segregation.

Pair the visit with the Mountaintop speech. Remember that King delivered the address at Mason Temple; the Lorraine was where he was staying and where he was killed.

My take

I believe this place has tremendous historical value, and that Americans should have a chance to visit if they can.

A CLOSER LOOK

The story behind it.

A place of remembrance within the National Civil Rights Museum.

A place inside the Memphis campaign

King was staying at the Lorraine Motel while supporting the sanitation workers’ strike. He was assassinated on its balcony on April 4, 1968.

The site and the museum

The National Civil Rights Museum incorporates the motel into a larger account of the freedom struggle. The location connects a specific loss with the movement surrounding it.

START HERE

National Civil Rights Museum (opens in a new tab)

Source for The Lorraine Motel: National Civil Rights Museum.

Sources for this closer lookNational Civil Rights Museum (opens in a new tab)

Explore the place.

Follow the original source to explore the work in its own context.

National Civil Rights Museum (opens in a new tab)
Sources & credits

Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.

The Lorraine Motel’s turquoise balcony and commemorative wreath, with vintage cars outside

National Civil Rights Museum · Lorraine Motel exterior

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